Jerusalem posted:

So much fun, and so much catharsis in it with the face/heel stuff and MJF suffering beautiful comeuppance. Also a shocking but well-appreciated surprise run-in.

Dango Bango posted:

I don't care if I'm overrating everything tonight. These guys are literally breaking down in tears post-match. To be performing at this level is absolutely incredible.

A Real Horse posted:

Punch McLightning posted:

awesome match, the post-match owned, i cried, good poo poo

I Before E posted:

just a perfect ending

purkey posted:

Just a drat good match

fez_machine posted:

the Beaver Boys had the match of the night (rightly so, Brodie made their careers)

Punch McLightning posted:

my last five star match for the year, i'm probably overrating it a bit but the emotion fo it got me and i don't care

Quantum of Phallus posted:

GOAT wrestling segment
8 stars

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“A masterful juggling act. To have so many emotional high points in one match, and give each their own time to land, is nothing short of spectacular. The real life emotions and the mechanics of kayfabe don’t often blend so seamlessly. Pure magic.” -Ross Berman

“art cannot exist without context. this is the the endpoint of ‘pwg fun sprint multiman style’ – the kind of match that in the moment is designed to be frivolous, swapping physical talents in and out, and more consumed with putting smiles on people’s faces – except instead of having no stakes, this match is for the stakes of ‘life and death and joy itself’. all of the skills these guys have honed in 2010s dingy warehouse, ballrooms, and American legion halls, all the hours rehearsing over and over popping 50 sweaty bullet club shirt nerds every weekend, are put to use in the most ‘celebration of life’ way. MJF will never do anything better than selling like death for an 8-year-old it’s what he’s put on the planet to do. pro wrestling is worth it!” -kara

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

rainmakerpunk - 5.0
"Honestly, this was the weakest match of the night, Silver waa really good here, Page was good too, MJF dragged this down"

JuliTheCage87 - 5.0
"Verstehe die Bewertung irgendwie nicht. Das Match war ganz gut, aber abgesehen von den Tributen an Huber und der Interpretation des Kairopractors (Dakota Kais Finisher) von Silver gab es hier wirklich nicht erwähnenswertes. Reynolds und Ortiz haben hier auch mal wieder mit nicht vorhandenem Talent geglänzt. Santana und Silver waren klasse. (**1/2)"

Jerusalem posted:

It was put together at the last minute due to Kota Ibushi's illness, but the Ace is the Ace and Shingo is legit one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, and they put on a HELL of a match. The Japanese crowd momentarily forgot they're not supposed to do anything but clap they got so caught up in the match at times, and like all the great New Japan matches time ceased to have any meaning as we basked in the glory of the best pro-wrestling on the planet.

Cerebral Bore posted:

Pro wrestling is good and it's art and it's beautiful and I'm not crying, you're crying.

SG Bamboo posted:

- Sooner or later Tanahashi is going to slow down, his body will fail him, he will stop being one of the greatest professional wrestlers of the 21st century. But until that day comes we'll keep screaming GO ACE

Lamuella posted:

Good lord above.

forkboy84 posted:

As it stands, Shingo is hands down Wrestler of the Year. Only one close is Ospreay and he's vanished for who knows how lont

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“I don’t know how Tanahashi does it. Even on a show where the atmosphere is in a sorry state he and Shingo got me on the edge of my seat and biting for the nearfalls.” -Joey O’Doherty

“New Japan’s formula of phasing older wrestlers out for the younger generation is partly what made this match so special. Tanahashi should in theory just be putting younger acts over in prelims – but his star power is so remarkable that he has remained someone that can be given a push in any division and make it seem like a semi-main event. However, his days of fighting for the company’s top crown seemed past him and on this night, Tanahashi got to main event the Tokyo Dome once more and prove why he was still The Ace. A physically-beaten down took the place of Kota Ibushi and delivered one of his best performances of the year with minimal notice.” -Jeremy Peeples

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mizzle Assault Ant - 3.0
"I liked this marginally better than their previous match but it seems what others love about this pairing still eludes me. Another match that felt far too long for the material they had, with many sequences seemingly far from well executed to my eyes. If there's a deeper story being told I couldn't decipher it, though admittedly I am not so up on my NJPW stories of this period. It succeeded with the critics and the live crowd so I am the minority, just my own opinion here but I wasn't very into this."

BUIOOMEGA - 7.0
"Of course the match is great: the second half is a masterclass for wrestling, the first part not so much. I think their previous bout for the NEVER belt was better, but still... great one!"

Luna100 - 7.0
"An overrated match, I respect both of these guys, especially Shingo during this period for putting the company on his back, but this was not a classic, it was solid defence that ended a poor show. This match was damaged by its length, as was everything during pandemic era New Japan Pro Wrestling It should have been punchier, still, there was good athletic ability, and the typical positives associated with these two. ***3/4"

Jerusalem posted:

Oh my God my vote for Hangman/Dark Order just tied it up again

SG Bamboo posted:

Impossible, I was told one vote can't make a difference

Rarity posted:

Put the Brodie match through too imo

STING 64 posted:

the just tap out match

Jerusalem posted:

Goddamn that was two big beefy boys beating the gently caress out of each other while talking poo poo the entire time and it was great. The postmatch with a half-dead Ishii still trying to fight was amazing and set up some cool potential future stuff too.

lost my old email posted:

the word "beef" repeated 5,000 times

super macho dude posted:

BEEF CITY RUMBLE

I Before E posted:

Welcome to the heavyweight division, Shingo

Jerusalem posted:

This makes it official. Every single one of Ishii's single matches in the B-Block this year were rated a MOTYC by this subforum. That's.... insane.

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“The kind of match that appeals to primal brains of anyone, no matter what kind of wrestling they’re a fan of, or a fan at all. Two little brutes battering each other until one can’t get up. Pure, brutal artistry.” Matt McEwen

“One of the best possible versions of a Soul Food match. Everything you expect and want from the two names involved and a great alternative to the “epic” Ospreay or Okada styles that dominated NJPW throughout the year. It was brutal but beautiful. Brutaful.” Dylan Fox

“Wrestling is about cool moves and acting like a badass and this is the perfect example of acting like a badass.” Mongo Underscore Ebooks

“Ishii is the best at his certain style. Shingo has impressed me more than any other wrestler in 2019. If I wasn’t trying to be fair I would put 10 Ishii matches on this list.” DJ Rothenbecker

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Mizzle Assault Ant - 5.0
"This kind of style is just not really for me, or at least this version of the style I guess. They hit hard for sure but not so hard that I was blown away or anything, and besides the striking there really wasn't anything much going on. It wasn't bad but it didn't excite me, hard to see how Meltzer could say this was better than say Austin/Bret."

Mikolaj Ozarowski - 7.0
"I feel like this was too repetitive and overreliant on lariats. I understand where all the love for this match come from, but apparantly it's not for me. If it was like 10 minutes shorter I probably would have liked it better."

AfRotaker - 7.0
"Ich meine, das war schon ohne Frage ein geiles Match. Super Spannungsaufbau, tolle Dramatik, technisch großartig. Leider verkam es, typisch für ein Ishii Match in dieser Zeit, absolut zu einem Strikefest und dann ging es nur noch darum, wer fester zuschlagen und mehr einstecken kann."

MatteoMerdok - 7.0
"I gave this match *** 3/4 stars out of five. Fun big beefy lad match, pretty much everything that I expected from these two. Strikes, suplexes and some power moves. Good stuff."

Pinwiz11 posted:

Unsurprisingly, these two are great at pro wrestling.

Edward Mass posted:

I’m gonna have to rewatch the rest of the show, I got violently ill after that match and so the rest is a blur.

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“This may not have been the “best” match of the year but it may have been my favourite. These two went non-stop, balls to the wall, and never let up. And just when I thought it was perfect, they kept going. Another five minutes and it might have hit match of the year. That said, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” -Paul Fontaine

“An absolute treat that two of the best in the world went all-out in an 18 minute sprint. Solidifed the amazing years both men were having as they pulled out the absolute best in their respective arsenals to try to stop each other.” -Nicholas Johnson

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

swawsier - 4.0
"Yes, wrestling is not real and you should be able to have fun, but it get's to a point where it just makes every move look weak, and in turn, anyone who's been pinned by these moves look weak. I enjoyed the first 10 minutes of this, Mike Bailey's always fun to watch and Will Ospreay is a good match for him, but after they exhausted all their unique fun moves it jus dragged and dragged and dragged. This match moved at 100 miles per hour but still somehow felt like it lasted an hour long then it actually did."

Johnny Rellik 949 - 4.0
"I didn't get it, too much hype and a lot of high notes but for me, nothing special. Not a crazy movefest and of course not a coherent narrative The best thing i think it was Bailey running to Ospreay to stop his dives, he couldn't just wait for the impact and get a lot of damage A poison rana and isn't even a near fall? No, thanks Good kicks, sequences and some moves, but just that"

Mizzle Assault Ant - 4.0
"Another day, another Will Ospreay apparent match of the century contender that leaves me shrugging my shoulders. Like obviously it's not bad exactly, the athletics are very high level, but is there anything else there? It looks a lot like every other technically impressive but basically indistinguishable Ospreay match to me. I do enjoy Speedball and he made this a bit different, he is in Ospreay's wheelhouse but also IMO pays a little more attention to differentiate his matches, but Ospreay pretty much bulldozes everyone into the same formula at this point. The spots were neat but not memorable in 2023, and nothing else about the match stood out, just an exhibition. My two cents anyway, obviously it worked well for the fans and the critics so don't mind me."

Jerusalem posted:

This match was absolutely loving insane. poo poo got done that I'm almost entirely certain defy and surpass the limitations of the human body.

Cerebral Bore posted:

You know when two guys have had a match so unbelievably good that everybody just assumes that they won't ever top it? Well, these guys just said gently caress that.

Rarity posted:

gently caress

xbilkis posted:

Insane chemistry between these two

Lamuella posted:

gently caress.

a cyborg mug posted:

This match deserves one entire gently caress.

SG Bamboo posted:

Two pretty good wrestlers having a pretty good wrestling match

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

So uh if Kenny vs Mox got WMOTYC nods for a bad post match angle...

Lily Catts posted:

I don't count the post-match as there is absolutely no reason to watch it unless you hate yourself

a cyborg mug posted:

Don’t take me as defending that stupid loving garbage angle but Mox vs Kenny’s dud explosion was intrinsically a part of the match stipulation and gimmick while Ospreay’s thing wasn’t, so it’s not too difficult to see why people aren’t giving it WMOTYC nods

Cerebral Bore posted:

I maintain my opinion that this is the best/worst matches thread and not the best/worst angles thread. And the Shingo/Ospreay match itself was basically flawless.

Tarnop posted:

The flaw was that I had to spend most of the match being reminded that Will Ospreay exists and has a wrestling career

forkboy84 posted:

Good match. Very good match, but I can't go MOTYC on a match that fails to hold my attention for almost half of it

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“The chemistry between these 2 top 5 wrestlers in their world and their generations is extraordinary.” -Jacob Nelson

“This match was just all-out action. Both men played to their strengths with Shingo being the straightforward warrior going right into the fight while Opsreay tries to use his mind to work smarter. Some amazing chemistry as always from these two as the match goes back and forth. Shingo looks to have the match in the bag before Ospreay nails him with a Hidden Blade to rock the big man and a Stormbreaker ends it.” -Alex Kalil

“Another day, another dollar, another fantastic match between Shingo and Ospreay. Ospreay emptied the clip to try to put Shingo away, including a wild 450 Splash to the outside through a table, but Shingo kept coming back for more. The visual of a stone-faced Shingo rising up from the mat like a zombie and slowly advancing towards a panicking Ospreay was as cool as any of the highspots they pulled off (and there were many). The Wrestling Dontaku match may have overshadowed this one, but this was still one of the best matches I saw in 2021.” -Andrew Rich

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

CoolKyle -2.0
"Your typical New Japan spot fest. The moves don't mean anything, no one sells anything, just do the cool highspot to get a pop from the crowd. How many times have we seen this match' NOTHING for me to take away. Also Dave Meltzer's rating system is COMPLETELY broken if he thinks THIS of all things is a 5 and a half star."

Mizzle Assault Ant -2.0
"These two continue to just not click for me. Not without its moments, the table spot was cool, but mostly it was an overly long exhibition-y exchange of moves, frankly all moves we've seen before, plus those long hokey high speed counter exchanges from a bad kung fu movie and as always Ospreay making weird faces."

Toxin - 3.0
"Osprey macht wieder den Spot Monkey und es langweilt mich zu Tode. Schon die Paarung an sich ist Booking Blödsinn hoch 10, keiner der beiden ist auf World Titel Niveau und damit ist der Kampf komplett Bedeutungslos, denn keiner von beiden würde Ibushi besiegen, ausser Gedo dreht komplett durch. Match dazu auch noch NJPW üblich viel zu lang, man hat deutlich gemerkt wie beide das ganze, ohne Sinn, strecken."

AndoCommando - 3.0
"Usually whenever I watch a match, if my opinion isn't close enough to the consensus, yet also doesn't compel me enough to write a comment, I just don't give it a rating on here. It's happened with plenty of NJPW matches for years now and this wouldn't have been any different. However, looking at some of the reactions online to this match, specifically regarding the result, have changed my mind. I recognize how Gedo has won faith from so many disenfranchised ex-WWE fans, with concepts like "long-term storytelling" and "character arcs". But please, hear me out: doing mental gymnastics to justify Shingo losing as part of some grand plan down the road, is baffling to say the least. He doesn't need to learn how to win, just like Ibushi didn't need to learn how to win after losing in the finals of 2018's G1 Climax; he just won it the next year, and then again the year after that. Ospreay isn't unbeatable to Shingo, as evident from their last match only 6 months ago. Like or dislike the match as much as you want, but don't blind yourself to the reality of things. Shingo's the loser of this story. He'll likely get a title shot at Dontaku because this is Gedo's booking. From there? Who's to say. Maybe he'll tag with SANADA (lol) until G1 and play second fiddle to the stars in Okada, Ibushi, Jay, etc. He's 38 years old in a stable where Tetsuya Naito is the leader. Stop hurting yourselves."

Jerusalem posted:

Holy poo poo this was INSANE, and they gave it away from free on a Youtube pre-show! It was everything I hoped it would be, just glorious. Thank God for Bryan Danielson, big ups to Satan for Minoru Suzuki.

Testekill posted:

Aw gently caress, that was everything you'd want from the two.

LionYeti posted:

some unbelievably wonderful violence

Taffy Torpedo posted:

Murder grandpa does it again

Saucer Crab posted:

Aaaaahhhhhaaaah

Akileese posted:

Dear god yes. This is my MOTY.

ShadowedFlames posted:

I haven’t enjoyed watching a match this much in a very, very long loving time.

Kevino07 posted:

left me wanting more.

TV Zombie posted:

If you didn’t like this, maybe you don’t like wrestling

forkboy84 posted:

Danielson is loving unbelievable

TriffTshngo posted:

they let bryan danielson wrestle minoru suzuki for 20 minutes for free on youtube. i think you can guess how good it was based on that sentence.

Wazzu posted:

Suzuki's other two matches in AEW kinda sucked to me, here he looked like one of the best ever.

AlmightyPants posted:

can't wait to see rematches down the road.

algebra testes posted:

great goddamn match.

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Bryan Danielson had a lot of great matches since he signed with AEW but what made this match special to me (aside from it being a dream match that the fans wanted to see for a long time) is that it was different than the rest of his in matches there. In almost every match he had in AEW he was always the dominant competitor, but in this match he faced someone who was much more dangerous. Watching Bryan trying to survive Suzuki was awesome and his injury history added a lot of drama to the match. A dream match that didn’t disappoint in the slightest.” -Saud Al-Rasheedi

“Sometimes wrestling is simple, you have 2 men in the ring who just want to beat each other up so they do. You have a dream match years in the making where every single person wants a forearm exchange spot so you give them a 5-minute forearm exchange spot and have the crowd go wild. You have a match where people dream about submissions so you give them multiple unique submissions and transitions. You do all of this and then you decide to air for FREE on Youtube. A match that just leaves you telling yourself “Man, wrestling is pretty freakin sweet” when it finishes” -Kentucky210

“While it may not have gotten in my top five this year, AmDrag vs. Suzuki absolutely ruled… and for free on YouTube! The second Danielson dream match of 2021, it did not disappoint. Two men went to war, and the only things that kept it from being much higher on the list was how short it was and the lack of stakes at play. Had this match been longer, and for a title, I imagine it could have blown away all of its competition this year.” -James “NuclearConvoy”

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Damian - 5.0
"The dream match that didn't really live up to it's potential. The lack of build and the 100% guaranteed win of Danielson hurt this. What also hurt this from an in-ring standpoint was the lack of selling. They just hit each other and no sold and asked for more and stood still to get hit, then sold the knock as death, then they immediately were back to no-selling seemingly all fine again. OK? Towards the end they managed to bring it up a bit but it wasn't enough. **1/2."

quote:

Mizzle Assault Ant wrote on 17.04.2023:
[10.0] "Do I think this is one of the greatest matches of all time? No, not really. However, is it an extremely good match worthy of a 10 and some good recognition? Well, I have to say yes to that. It was brutal but treated the brutality with respect, told a story, and both guys were fully into their roles. Jun Kasai looked like a monster from hell and Despe looked as great as he could ever hope to."

YourHumbleMessiah posted:

Holy gently caress

Jerusalem posted:

Crazy poo poo, right on the borderline of a MOTYC if I wasn't so busy screaming at them not to be loving idiots and stop trying to kill each other.

Jackie D posted:

Definitely, insane

Punch McLightning posted:

fuckin a

Jordan7hm posted:

What a loving match.

graph posted:

jesus christ

Dimebags Brain posted:

On my deathbed, my lungs burning from the blasted hellscape Earth has become, my final words will be "remember that cutter Sammy Guevara hit on Cody Rhodes from a ladder... dope."

Jerusalem posted:

"The Cross Rhodes from midway up the ladder was also loving insane," I'll gasp as I lose a battle with a raccoon over a small, muddy pool of water.

Quantum of Phallus posted:

best ladder match I ever saw. Unreal.

A Fancy Hat posted:

Cody vs Sammy is one of the greatest AEW matches ever and one of the greatest ladder matches ever, what a freaking show those two put on.

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Unbelievably violent and scary ladder match along with a good story to boot. Sammy had never beaten Cody and they work like he has to have the fight of his life to do so. Cody dominates in violent fashion, stiffing the hell out of Sammy at all opportunities and going out of his way to hurt him with horrific ladder spots. Almost every fall had the worst landing possible. Cody is indulging himself all match long culminating in the hilariously unnecessary Fuego assault. It had to end in the classic standoff at the top of the ladder and it was such a climactic conclusion.” -Flae

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

PuroresuLover - 2.0
"If you're reading this before going to watch this match, here's a tip: DON'T! Not worth the hype and had A LOT of ultra nonsensical things going on, like the referees pulling the ladders from the wrestlers, Sammy non selling his loving leg, Sammy putting himself in the position of a Cross Rhodes off the ladder and etc. That Cutter from Sammy was pretty neat though, I loving loved it. Also, Cody trying to dominate his opponent loving sucks. **1/4"

SG Bamboo posted:

First half or so wasn't really grabbing me but then these two stepped it up in a big way and didn't let off

Rarity posted:

I couldn't not watch Five Star Taichi

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

N/A

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Gonto03 - 6.0
"I'm not a fan of this stipulation in which you have to pin the opponent before the 10 count. I think it breaks the match's pace and doesn't look bad. The action was fine but they tried to make the match super dramatic, which turned me off a bit. I've seen these two have several matches that were better than this one. Still enjoyable, but might be a bit boring at points."

Cerebral Bore posted:

The platonic ideal of BEEF hath descended to the earth and graced us with its presence.

Jerusalem posted:

What the gently caress was this match? They did inhuman poo poo to each other, crazy poo poo beyond physics... and they just KEPT doing it back and forth to each other at an insanely high pace and it loving ruled forever.

jesus WEP posted:

So much beef. I think definitely Cobb’s best match in NJPW so far. And up there with Shingo’s best. What a war.

Rarity posted:

What the gently caress even was this match I don't even know

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

Yeah this was good

ARMBAR A COP posted:

I will stop watching wrestling forever now.

Huntman posted:

The NEVER Openweight Championship really is the best belt in NJPW

Punch McLightning posted:

I am no longer afraid of the police.

Dango Bango posted:

Cobb/Takagi had me yelling at my TV. Absolutely astounding match. If it had more of a story ala White/Ibushi, I'd easily put it as my MOTY thus far.

Dimebags Brain posted:

Man being a wrestling booker would be so easy, I'd just have Shingo wrestle every match.

AlmightyPants posted:

hearing Shingo and Cobb beat the poo poo out of each other and have it echo all throughout the dome like that was loving awesome and BEEF BOYS #1!

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“Insane heavy-hitting match that I can still remember having me on the edge of my seat. This match also set these two up for massive years within NJPW.” -ItChEE

“They tore the (clap crowd) house down. Two guys beating the ever loving poo poo out of each other for 15 minutes. Great wrestling” -Tyler Forness

“Not even a week into the year, and I already had a certified lock for my Top 10. Shingo had an incredible year in 2021, with some of the best matches in NJPW involving him, but it was this meeting with Jeff Cobb that was my favorite.” -Slyguy46

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

dudewhereismycar - 4.0
"I never cared about both of the participants, so, even with the high praise, I had a low expectation for this match. And it didn't surpass it at all. Not a borefest but I didn't cared about pretty much anything in this."

Edward Mass posted:

gently caress

The Taxman posted:

World's Strongest Slam on the apron

Chris James 2 posted:

Full match with stuff during the ads that we didn't even see yesterday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzv4FIZw-ok

Suplex Liberace posted:

great great match

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“I’m a stickler for using the term ‘workrate’ for it’s intended meaning: the rate of work within a match, i.e., the ratio of action to resting. Not that resting is always bad, or that constantly moving is always good, but workrate has a meaning distinct from ‘great’ when it comes to assessing matches.

This was a great match. It was also a workrate match. For 60 minutes (ok, 59 minutes) these two just went at it, moving from canter to tror and back again and never really letting up. I normally hate matches that go long for the sake of going long, but I was never bored during this match, as I have been during other critically acclaimed hour matches.

Look, you could easily fill a top ten list with Josh Alexander matches this year, as you could with Mike Bailey. So it’s fitting that in December, these two set their flag in the ground for what’s probably going to be lauded as a classic for years to come.” -Ewan Cameron

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

hunterp - 6.0
"Didn't like this at all. Between the obscene length and the dead crowd, this was an absolute chore to get through. Alexander and Bailey are two of the best in the world and could have a MOTYC, as long as they don't have to wrestle for an hour."

forkboy84 posted:

Two fantastic teams. Everything feels like a struggle. Even the little things like headlocks and Greco-Roman knucklelocks. It's so smart and exciting. Astronauts, despite being champs, are the Young Turks here trying to hang on with the best tag team of the 2010s.

This is worked fantastically.

Voices Of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“2022 was a GREAT year for Tag-Team wrestling and Strong BJ (heh-heh, I love typing that out!) were not gonna let themselves be left out of the conversation. Astronauts hustled hard here too, and between the 4 of them they put a big smile on my face.” -James “NuclearConvoy” Snelgrove

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

Kyle from TheMatchGuide - 7.0
"These four guys beat the hell out of each other, and did some nice grappling for 30 minutes. That's it. At some point, doing practically the same thing for 30 minutes and having the dissatisfaction of no winner is a little tiring and frustrating. If you're going to go 30 minutes, do at least one thing that's fancy. The Astronauts are obviously excellent, but as is the case with all their BJW matches I've seen, their opponents are steps behind them in terms of tag wrestling, and in character. The near falls were good, but not as great as some might suggest, and not having a real crowd doesn't help the vanilla presentation of BJW and both teams. Still, a good tag match. 3.75 Stars."

ImperialUno - 7.0
"This was one of 2022's most overrated match but don't get me wrong, this still was a great slugfest but at this point i started to find BJW's strong division a bit repetitive and overrated. They beat the crap of each other for 30 minutes and it flew by but this was far from the MOTYC i read - ***3/4"

forkboy84 posted:

This isn't a match for everyone. This isn't a standard Despy match. Barbwire. Knives, cut in half cans, a razor board, assorted other sick treats. loving gnarly stuff. Desperado has no reason to do a match like this except he loves Jun Kasai. So do I. So do I.

GEORGE W BUSHI posted:

Incredible match. Incredible atmosphere.

This match and this moment has been four years in the making and everything was beautiful.

Burn Down Canberra posted:

really just a perfect match. I'm not normally a death match guy but this was just brilliant.

closet statist posted:

Just unbelievable - probably the best Deathmatch I've ever seen

Pylons posted:

That was loving crazy.

Voices of Wrestling Match of The Year posted:

“In 2021 and early 2022, El Desperado cemented himself as the ace of NJPW’s Jr Heavyweight division, but one thing he was yet to do was defeat deathmatch legend Jun Kasai one-on-one. Despy pulled out all the stops in his big match white gear, a contrast to the sponsored black ring canvas that was rolled out for this big money match. Afterwards, a heartfelt promo between the 2 about what it really meant to be a pro-wrestler told us that, it’s to live.” -Joel Hancock

“incredible escalation of violence, a crowd bursting to scream, the sheer emotion from El Desperado this could be match of the year based on the bell to bell alone, but the post match promos put it over the top. El Desperado giving Kasai back a rose that was given to him earlier in the year. Kasai talking about deathmatches only ending when you survive at the end. Leaving a bloody mess with his small daughter in a white dress. A masterpiece from start to finish, truly showing the art and majesty of deathmatch wrestling.” -Nikki Derella

“Two and half years of silent crowds. Two and half years of pandemic and then almost a year of war very close to home for me. They had a bloody deathmatch, El Desperado refused to wrestle “his match”, he wanted to have Kasai’s match. And they had it. The match aside, which would have been trying to get into my top10 of the year even without the postmatch. But the postmatch… the postmatch promo… made it into something more than special. Jun Kasai, a deathmatch wrestler scarred after so many bloody affairs has something more profound to say than too many others.
“Before we fought, you said you didn’t care if you lived or died in this ring. Dont’t be a fool! Death should be welcomed by no man. There are countless who yearn to live but are doomed to an early death.” His words are hitting a cord deep in me and others, simple but effective. “Here you are, surrounded by friends, cheered on by this massive audience. You’ve fulfilled your dream of joining New Japan, rose to the highest ranks of junior division. You are living the best life possible! So do not tell me you’d gladly risk it all, you fool!” Kasai’s voice cracks, full of emotions. “We, pro-wrestlers, may not fear death or pain. We accept that every time we step into this ring. But we should be fighting so that we can walk out of the ring with our lives!” Now it is not only Kasai and El Desperado, who have eyes full of tears, there are audience members drying their eyes in the background. “There is no need to put your life on the line. There is no need to accept death. Once you understand that, you’ll be even stronger.” Kasai and El Desperado exchange more words. After that Jun Kasai leaves the ring, picks his pre-school daughter in white dress up and walks out. Audience chants his name on his way out and commentator gives us these beautiful words that made this wonderful match into the best match of the year. “Jun Kasai believes a death match doesn’t end until you come home alive.” What a motto to live by.” -Velkej Bracha

“I mean I’m not a deathmatch guy, but this match was amazing. I mean when I think of this match the image of a bleeding El Desperado with his torn mask. This match was brutal but it was great and didn’t even feel like a 28 minute match.” -Filip Pejic

“El Desperado enters Jun Kasai’s house and gets beaten, bloodied and battered. And it just rules. One of the first shows in Japan since the pandemic with loud and vocal audience and it truly enhances this deathmatch to something greater. Sure, it’s bloody and violent, but the emotional core makes the match stand above many of it’s contemporaries. Desperado is facing his hero and has to learn to fight under Kasai’s rules to even have a chance of victory and more importantly, respect. Don’t dare to sleep on the post-match promo either, where the emotion is overflowing even through the English translation. “We, pro wrestlers, may not fear death or pain. We accept that every time we step into this ring. But we should be fighting so that we can walk out of the ring with our lives! There is no need to put your life on the line. There is no need to welcome death!”” -Semi Salmikannas

“Just a hilarious fun time. Brutal. Sickos only lol. “It compels me”. Jun’s daughter after in the white dress? Hah. I was simultaneously cringing, pacing and laughing.” -Arturo Galletti

“I really like Jun Kasai and I really like deathmatch Despy, so what could possibly go wrong? These two gentleman had a little feud over several months and I still want to see the mid-level junior in FREEDOMS. To be honest it’s art when you can go nearly thirty minutes without being boring to the crowd and to the viewer at home. A match that was brutal and had some drama with Desperado losing his mask after just five minutes, blood everywhere and had an insanely good finish. Fewer nearfalls than the previous match made this one more compact and tighter, the Buckshow Lariat and that’s a wrap.” -Christian Gascoigne

“Who knew a Deathmatch could illicit such strong emotions from the competitors, the audience at the arena and watching from home? Simply outstanding storytelling in a match not many will forget for a long time.” -SamTheVAMod

“I am not a Jun Kasai fan by any means nor a deathmatch fan for that matter so for this match to come in at number 2 and for me to give it 5 stars goes to show just how great it really was. They made a fan out of me of the style with this match. It encouraged me to give deathmatch wrestling a chance. Also the lively crowd didn’t hurt given what we have gotten from Japanese wrestling for the past couple of years. I could not tear myself from my screen watching this match. There were creative spots (creative for me since I’m not deeply familiar) and the drama was off the charts.” -Rene Martinez

“A match of unrivalled emotion. It was a violent and bloody affair, fitting the deathmatch expectations, but it went beyond that in a display of emotion and narrative that only the best pro wrestling can produce. The match was steeped in impressive visuals, whether it be a bloodsoaked El Desperado, his torn mask or the symbolism of the rose. Jun Kasai put it best after the match, “we, pro wrestlers, may not fear death or pain. We accept that every time we step into this ring.” No match has encapsulated that sentiment quite like Jun Kasai vs. El Desperado.” -Jamie Johnson

“BLOOD + PASSION” -Liam Jones

“I went straight into this match due to the hype and what a violent delight. I’m not a deathmatch guy, but this was just beautiful in its own way. I was surprised at how much Desperado took, and this is the kind of match where he can take off the mask since it warrants it. Just violence from beginning to end, a memorable match where you’ll see Desperado go to places where you did not know he would go. The after match is really great too. After this match I watched Desperado vs Moxley, and I could not get into it because Kasai and Desperado just killed it for me. You can’t top this match. Watch it, and don’t watch another deathmatch or hardcore match after unless you want to ruin that second match.” -Abraham Delgado

“Just a beautiful mix of deathmatch & storytelling.” -Riku Mikkonen

“Best deathmatch of the year. The story of Despy willing to do anything to beat his idol in Jun was great, but the post match promo from Kasai teaching Despy to value life more than wrestling was awesome. Also the reverse tiger destroyer into the forks was probably the bump of the year” -Adam Darwin

“I usually don’t watch deathmatch wrestling but I loved this match as everyone, this was tremendous violence, crazy moments and a great crowd.” -Diego Garcia

“I think I’ve seen two Jun Kasai matches in my lifetime, and even with that limited exposure to the “crazy monkey”, I got what this meant to Despy. I got sucked into the emotion and the drama. Easily the most absorbing and fascinating journey from bell to bell to be a part of in 2022.

Oh yeah, it’s also violent as all hell. It’s Jun Kasai, after all.” -Mark Robinson

“I almost knew nothing about these 2 Wrestlers before I watched this match. At the end, I loved both of them.” -UpcomingWrestling

“Kasai and Despy created a macabre carnival with some of the most unsettling lasting images we’ve ever seen. Blades and blood, tension and inhuman toughness power this war of attrition. The invested and vocal crowd adds another layer to this match, rumbling with passion in the background as two gladiators put themselves through hell.” -Ryan Dilbert

“Despi is a mad man. I love him so much. No reason he should be wrestling a death match with Jun Kasai. The crowd was absolutely electric. I’m not a huge deathmatch guy. I’m very much along the lines that death matches need a purpose of following up a heated story. I’ll be honest, i don’t know what the story was going into it. But these two delivered something absolutely special in my eyes. Although that could be my bias for El Desperado, who since the pandemic has become one of my favorite wrestlers in the world. He’s just not afraid to put it all out there and he did that with Jun Kasai. Despy rules.” –Christopher Duarte

“This rocked my socks off. El Desperado brought the same brutality as Kasai and everything just formed into shape. Best deathmatch that happened to be a wrestling match this year.” -Daniel Kuchler

“My obligatory, “I don’t like deathmatches, but…” entry. A wild, ultraviolent affair that was supercharged with an a virtually infinite source of energy. Every time you thought this was over, they just kept going. And then some.” -Ewan Cameron

“Rarely, are we witness to an individuals clear and definitive character growth as experienced through the body of a single match. Where one competitor comes in as one thing, but leaves, so evidently transformed. But with this Death Match, performed in a ring very much of his own making, El Desperado was afforded the opportunity to battle is idol come rival and experience a moment of self actualisation. Where he learnt to fully embrace his position as Ace of the NJPW junior division, and appreciate what that position affords him. Kasai battered him throughout the match, forcing El Desperado to move beyond simple survival and to become the aggressor; to bring the fight. To embrace his position, to convey his confidence and to fight for his life. But it was post match, as Kasai berated Despy for being so dismissive of death, that the entire match fully clicks. As the two sat in the ring, Kasai in tears, yelling, Despy takes his lesson, learning that he was now, indeed, the man, and the he needed to respect that. To not take his life, or his role, for granted. Through facing Death, Despy learnt that it was time for him to step out from the shadows of others, and to begin to wrestle to Live.” -Josh Creighton

“Jun Kasai is one of the best at his chosen form of art and was in the position to create some outstanding moments and with El Desperado he, in my opinion, was responsible for the best death match in 2022. This one stood out because of the incredible amount of punishment Desperadro took to the point where his mask was completely torn, which resulted in some great visuals. Kasai’s promo after the match, in which he talked about the will to survive, greatly put the match into perspective and created a context to provide a much deeper meaning to a death match like this.” -STRIGGA

“Didn’t expect to be on the brink of tears after watching a deathmatch, but here we are.” -Paco Silva

“This match was one of the most violent and vibrant deathmatches I’ve seen in a long, long time. Kasai is a true artist of the genre, creating emotion that goes beyond disbelief and shock. He brought Despe along for the ride, whose creativity and sense of in-ring storytelling meshed with ease in this specatcle of ultraviolent delights.” -Niagara Driver

“I had been tipped off at the end of the year that I cannot complete a match of the year list until I checked out Jun Kasai vs El Desperado. I am happy I took that advise. This was the best death match I’ve seen since the Masashi Takeda vs Isami Kodaka match June 20th 2018 that stole the ballots years ago. The way they built up every spot was perfect. The false finishes got me every time, and I swear I never in a million years expected Desperado to get the victory as well. Kasai then cuts a inspiring promo that broke Desperado. Not more needs to be said. Just go watch. This match made you feel every inch of the way on how much it meant for Despy to not just win this match, but to be able to do what he did with a legend like Kasai.” -Ryan Cooke

“An angel clad in white descends into the underworld to earn the respect of a devil. He must pay a heavy tribute in blood, but no cost is too great. From the underworld’s blood-soaked soil, a rose blooms.” -Jeff Martin

“A fever dream of a match that wildly exceeded everyone’s expectations and reminded us how beautiful pro-wrestling can be.” -Dean

“An unforgettable war between Jun Kasai and El Desperado. Buckets of blood, emotion, and passion. Poignant pro wrestling violence. Chef’s kiss.”-Franky DeJesus

“At one point in this match, Kasai hits an avalanche double-underhook Canadian Destroyer through a fork-covered board and I yelled, “OH gently caress OFF!!” with glee, earmarking the match as at least 4 stars there and then. Besides THAT though, what makes this match so good (and what sets it apart from the diluted American deathmatch scene) is the story. Despy LOVES Kasai. He’s a massive fan, a massive influence on him and Despy respects Kasai and his craft immensely. Oh, I don’t speak Japanese or really follow the puro scene these days, I just got all that information from the entrances alone. From the sheer body language of Despy and Kasai, before the bell even rang. That’s the level these two are on. The story from there is simple: Despy respects Kasai and wants to see if he can hang at his hero’s own game. Kasai sees Despy as a try-hard big-leaguer and is going to put him through hell to test his limits. I won’t spoil the rest, but this boils down to incredibly enriching and compelling storytelling with incredibly gross and painful highspots mixed in. Your move, America.” -Shane Silver

“A hardcore/death match with a message at the end. The first time he tried to have his dream match with Jun Kasai in 2019 his jaw was broken during the match and the match was called off. This year Desperado finally had that dream match he always wanted with his hero Jun Kasai. After two and years of clap crowds, Yoyogi exploded with “KASAI! KASAI! KASAI” chants and Desperado was headbanging in his corner to them. He was ready to have this bloodbath, and at the end when he pinned Jun Kasai with a broken mask and bloodied El Desperado was at the top of his wrestling career. And Jun Kasai said some words that Desperado needed to hear.

“Before we fought, you said you didn’t care if you lived or died in this ring. Don’t be a fool! Death should be welcomed by no man. There are countless who yearn to live but are doomed to an early death. Here you are, surrounded by friends, cheered on by this massive audience. You’ve fulfilled your dream of joining New Japan, rose to the highest ranks of the junior division. You are living the best life possible! So do not tell me you’d gladly risk it all, you fool! There is no need to put your life on the line. There is no need to accept death. Once you understand that, you’ll be even stronger. Jun Kasai believes a death match doesn’t end until you come home alive.”

Desperado needed to hear this. He needed to feel this pain. He needed to get the dream match with Jun Kasai done before he could move on with his career.” -Sondre Bjørn

Lowest Cagematch Rating posted:

wingedeagle - 3.0
"Desperado is fantastic whether brawling, working the mat, babyface or heel. I also appreciate a willing bleeder but this was mutilation for the sake thereof and an awful waste of a legitimate talent."